Seeker to Seeker
by Cordetta
Summary: Harry and Ginny go head to head in a fundraising match between the Holyhead Harpies and a celebrity Quidditch team.


**Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be**

The crowd's cheers drowned out the whooping of Lee Jordan as Harry swooped across the pitch. He tucked himself tightly against his broom as he spun into a barrel roll, a wide grin spreading across his face. He'd not wanted to take part in the match originally, preferring to make a donation of his own to the charities that provided aid to the children the war had left scarred, but the Quidditch pitch called and when he'd discovered the fundraising team would be playing against the Holyhead Harpies, his mind had been made up.

"AND THE GOLDEN BOY DIVES AFTER THE GOLDEN SNITCH, THAT'S HARRY POTTER FOLKS, BEST DAMN SEEKER THIS SIDE OF THE CHANNEL, HE'S-"

A resounding groan drowned out Lee Jordan's voice as Harry sharply pulled out of the dive.

"You're losing your touch, Potter."

Harry looked up at the shout as Ginny sped past him. He turned his broom, following her form quickly, zigzagging in and out of the other players and ignoring Oliver Wood's yell of "POTTER". He easily matched her pace and grinned at her as he looped around her urging his broom ahead of hers. "Not a chance, Weasley."

"Don't you have a Snitch to find?" she asked, her eyes dancing.

"Don't you have a Quaffle to throw around?

"I understand if you're intimidated by my Chasing prowess, you may be interested to learn that I accept forfeits every second Wednesday and Saturday."

"It's Friday, you git"

"So you were considering yielding over admitting defeat Potter? Wise, very wise. Now, which would you prefer to be announced at the press coverage this afternoon-, how you ran away from that swan at the park last weekend or the way you sing along with Mum when listening to Celestina Warbeck?"

"I maintain that that bird was a menace," said Harry.

"And your excuse for your impromptu sing-a-long?" asked Ginny, her eyes glimmering with anticipation. "I'd love to hear this one"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not going to be ashamed of that, I like singing with your Mum," he said. "It gives us something to do over dishes."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Fine, perhaps I should charm a tattoo on your chest and release photos. I could create a new craze, a snake-eating hippogriff to adorn every single body in the Wizarding World"

Harry spluttered with laughter remembering the last tattoos she'd suggested should be exposed back at Hogwarts. Ron had never looked at Pygmy Puffs the same way. Ginny smiled cheekily back at Harry and he grinned, noticing the way her skin crinkled at the edges of her eyes. Ginny flipped back the strand of red hair in her eyes impatiently although he knew it would fall back out of place in just a few minutes.

"Weasley, mind on the game," roared a voice from above them. Harry looked up with a start at Gwenog Jones, her face like thunder. "Keep your flirting off the match and catch the damn Quaffle."

Ginny saluted her smartly. "Captain's orders Harry, but keep that forfeit in mind. You never know when I'll choose to follow up on it."

"I wouldn't count on it," shouted Harry as she turned away. "After all I've been told I have to put on a show."

Her joyful laugh stayed with him as he sped up high above the game, circling the pitch for a glimpse of a golden speck and watching instead a stream of bright red hair.

A flash of green caught his eye and Harry realised suddenly that the Harpies Seeker had made a break for the Snitch, intently following its every move with an outstretched arm. With barely a second though he dived after them, urging his broom to fly faster and faster as the roar of the crowd swelled to a head.

He was only a metre or two behind her, then he was alongside her, he could have reached out and brushed her robes but instead he thrust his hand forwards – his arm was longer than hers and he could no longer hear the crowd as his fingers brushed the wings of the Snitch, just the sound of Ginny screaming for him.

He lifted his line of sight at his name, and in a split second understood Ginny's panic, pulling himself out of the pursuit and spiralling towards the lower stands.

The Harpies' seeker did not follow suit and, with a sickening crunch, collided with the crowded tower beside the pitch.

Time was called and Harry could see a group of mediwizards surrounding the seeker's prone body. Distantly he could hear Wood talking, discarding his usual reassuring nature of a Healer for the intense competitiveness Harry remembered from Hogwarts. He could pick out the faces of his friends in the crowd – Hermione looked particularly stricken with the proceedings on the field below. And Ginny, _Ginny_ , she was chewing her bottom lip, her eyes shining with anxiety and Harry had seen her like this before, on a battlefield comforting a girl close to death. He knew only too well how much Ginny loved, how many people she cared for, and in that moment he knew he should be by her side.

"Potter," barked Wood impatiently. "You need to be with us right now, else you might as well be playing for the Harpies and we can kiss this match goodbye."

"Huh?" said Harry, bringing his attention back to the team in front of him. He could see one of the Beaters rolling their eyes.

Wood shot the Beater one of his sharpest glares and turned his attention back to Harry. "If Jones has a brain, she'll put Weasley into the seeker position. Seekers are worth more than Chasers to her right now, and all the better distract you with."

Wood narrowed his eyes and leaned close towards Harry.

"Do not let their strategy play out."

Harry grinned and saluted his old captain. The whistle blew and the team dispersed and Lee Jordan made the expected announcement - Ginny would replace her teammate as Seeker.

Harry's eyes followed Ginny as she flew past him and he hurriedly squashed the tiny voice which informed him that Oliver Wood would not be impressed.

"Time to really see who's on top," Ginny said, her eyes sparkling. "Care to place any bets?"

"Harpies win but I get the Snitch," said Harry immediately. "Ten Galleons and brunch at that Muggle inn you like so much."

"Harpies win by a margin of 300 points," said Ginny. "Five Galleons and you put in for your annual leave so we can go to Spain for a holiday."

Harry considered, glancing over at the scoreboard which displayed the already prominent lead for the Harpies. "You're on."

"GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME WEASLEY, I'M NOT PAYING YOU TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND"

Ginny winked at Harry and zoomed away, eyes darting around the pitch for a flash of gold even as she shouted a dirty comment back at her captain.

Harry watched her fondly and zigzagged slowly, high above the rest of the game, his attention back on the Snitch. He barely heard the collective gasp as he dived towards a glint of gold that happened to be Percy's glasses. He saw nothing of the Bludgers the Harpies Beaters aimed towards him. He did notice when a sheet of red filled his vision and the sweet scent of flowers told him it was Ginny he had nearly knocked off her broom.

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT POTTER," roared Wood.

Harry looked over at Ginny irritably. "You could have been killed."

"It's not like I haven't fallen from a broom before," retorted Ginny, but she seemed dazed. "See you on the other side."

With that she flew forwards, charging directly towards Harry so that he had to spiral away in order to avoid being smacked off his own broom. Harry could hear the cheers filling the stadium as he realised too late, that Ginny had not been dazed but instead had spotted the tiny ball on the other end of the pitch. He cursed and swung his broom around and flew after her, pressing his body flat against the handle, coaxing the maximum speed from it and still, urging for more. The stadium blurred into silence, the wind pushed his glasses into his face, and Harry slid neatly into the slipstream behind Ginny as they flew in sync, twisting and turning as one. The Snitch shot upwards and Harry saw his chance, his arm was longer than hers, outstretched desperately as he drew level with Ginny. His fingers brushed the wings and he could smell Ginny, she was everywhere, he could feel her cool skin beneath his fingers as his hand closed around the Snitch.

The world exploded around him, a burst of colour and cheers and Ginny's smile as he looked down. The Snitch was caught, the game was over and in his hand he held Ginny's small fist, clenched tightly around the slowly fluttering ball.

He looked down at Ginny, her face radiant as she tugged her hand away from his, lifting it triumphantly in the air. Through the cheers, Harry could hear Lee Jordan's voice, and leaned down to whisper in Ginny's ear.

"I can take two weeks in June."

~*~ E N D ~*~

 **NOTES: The first fic I've finished in a while, but wow am I proud of how it's turned out! I love these kids and I've missed them :) Also published on AO3 and Tumblr**


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